The present invention relates to a steel laminate gasket with a reduced hole for regulating flow rate of fluid passing therethrough.
In an internal combustion engine, there are provided with fluid passages for water and oil. In particular, the water and oil passages are formed inside a cylinder block and cylinder head, and when the engine is assembled together, water and oil circulate through the respective passages in the cylinder block and cylinder head. When the cylinder block and cylinder head are assembled, a gasket is installed therebetween to prevent leakage of fluid at a connecting portion.
In an automobile industry, one engine is installed in different models of cars to reduce manufacturing cost of an engine. In this case, cylinder block and cylinder head in one engine are manufactured in the same manner. Although the engine is the same, installation condition is different in each model of the cars. Therefore, small design changes of an engine are required in each model. For example, amounts of cooling water and oil circulating through the engine and distribution rates of cooling water and oil inside an engine may be changed in each model.
The cylinder head and cylinder block are made of cast metal. Therefore, the cylinder head and cylinder block are not changed, and instead, a gasket situated between the cylinder head and cylinder block is changed. For example, in case the cylinder head and cylinder block are provided with a large water hole, a small hole is formed in the gasket to reduce flow rate of water. In some cases, water holes in the cylinder block and cylinder head are entirely closed by the gasket.
A steel laminate gasket is formed of a plurality of thin steel plates. In case the size of the water hole is reduced in a steel laminate gasket, at least one of the steel plates must extend into a water hole. As a result, these arises some technical problems. Namely, in case one plate extends into the water hole, since the plate is very thin, the plate may bend by pressure of flowing water to thereby reduce sealing ability. In case some of the steel plates extend into a water hole, water enters into spaces between the plates. In a steel laminate gasket, it is very difficult to seal around fluid holes especially in case the gasket partly extends into a fluid hole.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a steel laminate gasket having a reduced fluid hole, wherein leakage of fluid is substantially prevented.
Another object of the invention is to provide a steel laminate gasket as stated above, wherein deformation of the steel plate due to fluid flow is substantially prevented.
A further object of the invention is to provide a steel laminate gasket as stated above, which can be used for a long period of time.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.